Hatters boss wants side to be ‘wary’ of visiting Luton

Mike Simmonds

Luton boss Nathan Jones is determined for his side to make Kenilworth Road a ground that opposition sides are ‘wary’ of heading to.

The Hatters have only won five times in front of their own fans when league points are up for grabs this season, being held to 1-1 draws on four occasions and losing the other three.

I want it to be a place where teams are not so much fearful of coming, but very wary of coming to and I think we’ve got that.

Nathan Jones

Jones is well aware that if his side want to make a charge for the automatic promotion places in the second half of the campaign, then they have to buck up their points return on home soil, as he said: “I want to put runs together, I want to have good home form.

“I want it to be a place where teams are not so much fearful of coming, but very wary of coming to and I think we’ve got that, so we’ve just got to make sure we do the job.

“Wins are important wherever they are, in the cup, home, away, or wherever. We’ve just got to make sure that we get enough points to take us to where we want.

“Whether that starts a run on Saturday or whether that culminates in a run towards the end of the season, whatever it does, we want to win games.

“I’m not going to put too much pressure saying we have to do this, have to do that. What we have to do in theory is make sure we finish in the top three and however we do that, we’ve got to do it.”

Standing in Town’s way of win number six is a Cambridge side who have impressed greatly in recently weeks, climbing up the table and are unbeaten on their travels in the league since September 10, over four months ago.

Jones continued: “They’re a decent squad, they didn’t have the best of starts which was a surprise to me, but they’ve got a good manager, got a good strong squad there.

“They know what they’re doing, they’re a difficult side to play against, so we know the test we’re going to get.

“It’s the same as any other test we’re going to get every other week and I’m sure they’ll look at us and say exactly the same thing.

“They’ll be Cambridge, they’ll be themselves, I think they’re a forward thinking, hard working, pressing side, so it should be a good energetic game.”

The U’s have top scorer Luke Berry in fine form, with 15 goals to his name already this term, while imposing ex-Watford striker Uche Ikpeazue has notched eight too as Jones said: “Every side has got a threat and a good player, I’m sure when they look at us they’ll think exactly the same.

“We know they’ve got players who can hurt you like any other side, but we’ve got to make sure we impose ourselves on the game and stop their threat.

“We’ve been in good form with that and we handled a similar kind of threat at Wycombe, so we’re equipped to do it.”

The last time Cambridge were in town it was for Jones’ first game in charge, as the two sides played out a goalless draw in January last year.

Although Jones will have a different vantage point for the game this weekend, as he serves a one match touchline ban, he has good memories of the first encounter, adding: “It was a big crowd and we got a point out of it which got me off the mark straight away.

“I’m hoping for a different outcome, we’re a different side to what we were.

“I’d had about eight days work with them so it was a whirlwind on the day, but I remember it vividly. I know it will be a different day because I know how I’ll handle it, and the occasion, but we’re looking forward to it and it leads us into an important run of games.”